Review by Booklist Review
Summer is an awfully dull season for the schoolboy with no imagination. Eleven-year-old Martin Moone, younger brother of three terrifying sisters, would do just about anything for some male companionship. Unfortunately, his best (and only) friend is tied up for the summer, so he suggests Martin get himself an imaginary friend. For those lacking the imagination to imagine their own, there's a catalog: Martin lands himself first with the disastrous Loopy Lou and then the somewhat dishonestly obtained Sean Murphy. But now his summer takes a turn for the better as he and Sean face down sisters and bullies alike, all while dodging the increasingly desperate Loopy Lou. Based on the Irish sitcom (also written by and starring O'Dowd), this is peppered with Irish colloquialisms, though tongue-in-cheek footnotes explain these to American readers. The wacky doodles and preteen humor (think fart jokes) makes this an entertaining read for the middle-grade set.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-In this novel, based on an acclaimed Irish television show, Martin Moone is an 11-year-old boy with three overbearing older sisters, parents who largely ignore him, and school bullies who regularly torment him. When he decides to apply for an Imaginary Friend (IF), seeking a supportive "wingman," he gets hilarious results. Martin ends up with two competing IFs-obnoxious Loopy Lou and lazy Sean Murphy-and must find a resolution. The audiobook is narrated by the authors with voices that are expressive and distinct. In particular, the over-the-top, needy personality of IF Loopy Lou is perfectly captured. Although the charming illustrations present in the book (Feiwel & Friends, 2015) are missed, the recording makes up for it with its abundance of auditory gifts, especially the raucous voices and singing. The authors' rendering of the footnotes (which explain the meanings of Irish words in comical ways) is amusing but can be distracting. VERDICT Give this to "Wimpy Kid"' fans; tweens will love it.-Julie Paladino, formerly of East Chapel Hill High School, NC © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Martin Moone is the youngest child and only boy in his chaotic family in rural Ireland. Lacking imagination, he seeks the advice of a friend who shows him how to find an imaginary friend (or IF) to provide guidance. Based on a TV series starring author O'Dowd, this is a funny prequel in which Martin first "meets" IF (and narrator) Sean. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Martin Moone, a dimwitted 11-year-old Irish boy with three difficult older sisters, decides to take on an imaginary friend, or IF.As Martin, a sad-sack lad who is bully bait for the mean Bonner brothers, learns, procuring an imaginary friend is not for the faint of heart. His first IF is a failure, an annoyingly jokey, balloon-animal-making fellow named Loopy Lou, who turns out to be needy and exceptionally hard to fire. In this effort, Martin is assisted by a lazy, bearded, customer-service representative for the Corporate League of Imaginary Friends Federation, who later succeeds to the position of imaginary friend. The other story thread concerns Martin's efforts to combat the Bonner brothers by enlisting an older tough, who agrees to help in exchange for a feel of Martin's sister's boobs, which turns out to be challenging for our idiot hero to arrange. Based on an original Hulu series starring author O'Dowd, the book has an amusing tone; although it sometimes strains for the joke, it is intermittently funnyeven very funny in spots. But despite its clever premise, enhanced by Giampaglia's witty illustrations, it could use a good sharp clipping, as it's repetitious and bloated with unnecessary exposition and explanation. This story should keep its target audience of pre-pubescent boys giggling but is unlikely to find fans outside of this demographic. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
